Jalapeno, Capsicum annuum, is widely considered to be the most recognized chile in the US. Pronounced “ha lay pain yo”, this chile is native to Mexico where it is known as "cuaresmenos" (meaning Lenten chile), “chile gordo” (fat chile) and “huachinango” (a specific cultivar of jalapeno that is red in color). It’s named after the town of Xalapa (sometimes spelled as Jalapa) in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

History of Jalapenos

Jalapenos are one of the first and oldest cultivated crops in the Western Hemisphere, dating back to before the Aztec civilization (which thrived from 1345-1521). They originated in the region of Mexico that today is northern Mexico City. Most chiles can be dried using the sun, but not Jalapenos. Chile historians believe that the Aztecs first smoked jalapeno peppers because the fleshy, thick jalapeno was difficult to dry in the sun and tended to rot. This "smoke drying" process was initially used for drying meats, but the Aztecs found that smoking allowed the chiles to be stored for a long period of time as well.

As the Aztec empire began to rise, so did their imports and exports. Smoked jalapenos (today known as Chipotle chiles) were very highly prized for trading and were also used at royal rituals. At an Aztec banquet, chiles were used in a ceremonial sauce that was served to the emperor and his guests. It was prepared with a mixture of chiles, tomatoes, nuts, pumpkin seeds, chocolate and caramel. This sauce was used to flavor venison, fowl and seafood.

In Mexico, only the pickled version of this pepper is called a jalapeno. The fresh green pod is called 'cuaresmenos’. In the US, it’s called a jalapeno whether its fresh or pickled.

An early relative of the jalapeno chile is thought to have been called "tzonchili" or "texochili". Chile historians believe that the tzonchili was first used by the ancient Aztecs and has been described as having hints of sweetness. The fact that the modern day jalapeno and the ancient tzonchili could only be dried by smoking leads more credence to these chiles sharing a similar lineage.

Bernardino de Sahagun, a Franciscan friar, missionary priest and pioneering ethnographer (one who conducts the systematic study of people and cultures), arrived in New Spain (modern day Mexico) in 1529. He quickly learned the Nahualt (pronounced "nä wätl") language and spent the next 50 years studying the Aztecs and their culture. He described the typical Aztec market as having "hot green chiles, smoked chiles, water chiles, tree chiles, flea chiles and sharp-pointed red chiles. To further illustrate the importance that the Aztecs placed on chiles, they classified them into 6 categories based not only on their level of pungency (low to high), but also on type of pungency (broad to sharp).”

Cultivation

Jalapeno plants typically reach a height of 2-1/2' to 3', with a single main stem. These multi-branched plants have light to dark green leaves that measure about 2" wide by 3" long. The flower petals (corollas) are white, contain no spots, and mature into conical and cylindrical pods that are approximately 1-1/2” wide and 2 to 3 inches long. Most jalapenos are harvested while still immature and are their familiar green color. The full growing period of jalapenos is between 70 and 80 days and under ideal growing conditions each plant will produce between 25 and 35 pods.

In the US, we're more likely to find them green in color, although occasionally lots of sunlight will cause them to turn a purplish color. The pods are also known to have brown streaks (called "corking"), this trait is preferred in Mexico but US consumers consider chiles with these markings to be inferior.

While ingenious to Mexico, these chiles are also grown in the southwestern US and throughout South America. In Mexico, they are primarily grown in Oaxaca, the Lower Palaloapan River Valley and northern Veracruz. In the United States, California is the leader in jalapeno chile production, followed by New Mexico and Texas. Jalapeno chiles can be grown in a variety of soil types and climates, although they grow best in semiarid climates. Those that are planted in hot humid areas tend to produce significantly lower yields per plant.

Like many chile peppers, there are numerous varieties -- in Mexico, 'Peludo' and 'Tipico' are the most sought after, and in the US 'Early Jalapeno' (considered hot) and 'TAM Jalapeno’ (considered mild) are the most popular.

Depending on the time of year and product availability, our red jalapenos are grown in either Mexico, the US or China.

Green, Red and Smoked Jalapenos

While most fresh jalapenos are picked when they are green in color, a select few are left on the plant until they are fully ripened at the end of the season. At this point, the peppers turn a deep crimson red and are then typically (but not always) dried and smoked.

When dried and smoked, the jalapeno is called Chipotle. We carry both types of chipotles: the harder to find Chipotle “Meco” and the more common Chipotle “Morita”. Dried, smoked jalapenos are quite popular and easy to find, while the unsmoked, dried green jalapeno is actually much more difficult to find and ground red jalapeno is darn near impossible to source (which is why we were so excited to find these).

Where to Use

Some artisan hot sauce makers prefer using red jalapeños in their sauces. Even Sriracha Hot Sauce, one of the best known hot sauces in the world, uses red jalapeños as its base.